(19)
(11) EP 0 437 741 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
18.09.1991 Bulletin 1991/38

(43) Date of publication A2:
24.07.1991 Bulletin 1991/30

(21) Application number: 90124053.1

(22) Date of filing: 13.12.1990
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: B23Q 1/14, G05B 19/403, G05B 19/25
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 16.01.1990 US 466089

(71) Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
Armonk, N.Y. 10504 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Bobroff, Norman
    Katonah, New York 10536 (US)
  • Kendall, Rodney Arthur
    Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877 (US)

(74) Representative: Mönig, Anton, Dipl.-Ing. 
IBM Deutschland Informationssysteme GmbH, Patentwesen und Urheberrecht
D-70548 Stuttgart
D-70548 Stuttgart (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) A two-dimensional positioning apparatus


    (57) A two-dimensional positioning mechanism, comprising a moveable platform (12), a first translating device (14) connected to the platform (12) to move the platform in a first direction, and a second translating device (16) connected to the platform (12) to move the platform in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first translating device includes first (22) and second (24) links, each of which is pivotally connected to the platform (12), and a first linear actuator (26) pivotally connected to the first (22) and second (24) links to move those links in the first direction. The first (22) and second (24) links, the moveable platform (12) and the linear actuator (26) form a pivotal parallelogram structure to maintain the orientation of the platform substantially constant during movement thereof. Preferably, the positioning mechanism further includes a control system (20) connected to the first (14) and second (16) translating devices to control those translating devices to move the platform from a first position to a second position. This control system preferably also controls the translating devices to move the platform on a predetermined path as the platform moves from one position to the next.






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